BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Bottle Feeding => Topic started by: Knonie on March 05, 2011, 15:51:05 pm
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Where do I start? Well my lo is fast earning the name 'little s*d' in our house as we really don't know where we are with him... I'm sorry its a long one...
About a fortnight ago I decided after a great deal of thought to move him to a 4hrly routine, for two reasons... 1) he never appeared to be that hungry between 3-3.5hrs (he was also able to cope with approx 1.25 activity time), and 2) his poo was very dark green and occasionally shot with yellow (I know now from research on this site that this isn't necessarily a concern but at the time it was..!).
Because he didn't display any urgency to eat between 3-3.5 hours I decided to cold turkey/demand feed into a 4 hourly routine and the first two days were very successful. The 2nd two days were a little more hap-hazard as he started to wake earlier from naps and/or start fussing for a feed earlier than the 4 hours, so I went with him and fed earlier (it was never more than 1/2 hr before).. On the 3rd set of two days I was staying at my parents house and sharing a room with him and his older sister (who I've now discovered could sleep through a train being driven through her room!!). It was his first time in the travel cot and his first time staying away from home. These two days were a nightmare. Why? well they started off well but he slept for Britain during the day, wouldn't eat more than 3-4oz per feed, was inconsolable at times (he started getting red cheeks and spongy gums too!!) and to top it all he woke both nights - once at 2.30 the other at 4.30. But while we were there his poo finally turned yellow!
Since returning home, he's been fine, waking quite happily up to 1/2 hour before a feed and pooing up to twice a day (still yellow). He's now taking 8oz bottles and has a fussy time between 6-6.30 after waking from his catnap when we can't get him to quiten down in any way except to take him up for his bath!! He's sleeping better during the day taking from 1hr to 1.5hrs in the morning, 2-2.5hrs at lunch and a catnap in the afternoon before going down after his bottle at 7pm and then sleeping through to 6.30-45 after a DF at 10.45-11pm.
Why am I complaining? well this week having been very happy tucked up in his miracle blanket every night he has now managed to get out of it around 5-5.30am and then complain he's cold - discovered from the sleep board that a way around this is to not put his legs in the pocket and once swaddled put him in a sleeping bag - this has worked two nights before he's got out of it.... These same two days he has taken his 11am bottle (80zs) and licked it dry and then screamed blue murder until I offer more. The first day he took 10oz in total and would have had more if I'd allowed, the second day he took 13ozs as I thought I'd see just how hungry he was!! Yesterday he didn't want more at 11am but licked his DF bottle dry and then woke at 3.30am, so assuming he'd got out of his swaddle again I went in and redid it and left him but he just shouted louder - he doesn't really cry just sounds like he's putting his case across IYKWIM but gets louder and louder!! So I went back in to see if I could calm him and nothing would work until I offered a bottle and he took a full 8ozs...!!!! He then went straight back to sleep and woke at 6.30am ready for his 7am feed when he took another 7ozs!!??
What I would like you lovely ladies to help me with is the dilemma of whether I should take him back to a 3.5hr EASY or just ride this out as it could be a growth spurt...? Or just whether I need to tweak my current EASY a little..?
7am E
7.30 A
8.30-45 S
9.30 A (somedays otherwise usually sleeps to 10.30)
11am E
11.30 A
12.45 S
3.30 E (he usually sleeps through collecting my dd from school so I wake him when we get home)
4pm A
5-5.15 S
6pm A - bath at 6.30-45
7pm E and straight down to sleep
10.45-11 DF
Many thanks for any help you can offer and also for reading all the above - I know its a lot!!!!
K
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I would think growth spurt to be honest if the waking for feeds has only been a few nights - there is a big one around 4 months which is about where your young man is now!
It may be time to wean the swaddle too if he is breaking out of it, we weaned DS out about this age and did a cold turkey dummy removal at the same time (that was a fun few days!).
How much is he taking in day feeds at the moment? Is he draining day feeds?
Laura
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He thankfully didn't wake last night after taking a full DF!! So I defo think you're right!!
He's taking 8oz feeds and draining them!! Have tried offering more and for the moment he's not interested - am seeing the HV on Weds to discuss what to do when he does want more as he's long as opposed to big for his age IYKWIM!
I'm avoiding the swaddle thing at the mo as am nervous to be frank! He's been ok the last two nights with the sleeping bag solution so hopefully that will continue for the timebeing.. He refuses a dummy and hasn't quite mastered sucking his thumb but is close to being able to and so I'm hoping we can hold out until he can as I think that will make the transition a little easier!!
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Thought I'd give an update just in case anyone else has similar problems.. Saw the HV who confirmed that he'd had a monumental growth spurt - 8cm in less than 8wks - he's now 17lbs too!! She advised to carry on with normal formula but to move him back to 3.5hrs so that he gets an extra bottle and in the main that's been fine. Don't think we'll make 6mths for weaning as he's already on 6 x 8oz bottles a day!! We'll see!!
Thanks for your help Lolly!